Two-way tailgate for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A tailgate for a truck that may be opened about two different axes at the same time is disclosed. A first tailgate portion of the gate rotates about a horizontal axis onto which heavy or long materials may be more readily loaded while a second tailgate portion rotates about a vertical axis for easy access to the forward-most portion of the bed. Additionally, the tailgate addition may include an extended step plate to allow the operator to step into the bed of the truck more readily.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to vehicle gates. More specifically,this invention is a tailgate for a truck that may be opened in twodifferent directions at the same time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional tailgates for vehicles that rotate about both a horizontaland a vertical axis are arranged for either a closed verticalorientation to permit closure and enclosing of a bed, an open verticalorientation to allow access to the bed without having to reach over thegate, and an open horizontal orientation to permit loading, when in thehorizontal orientation the tailgate projects rearwardly from the back ofthe vehicle.

Heretofore, various tailgate assemblies have been developed. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,260 to Lippard, issued Aug. 3, 1995,discloses an alternative tailgate having an upper half and a lower halffor aerodynamic purposes. Each half rotates about a horizontal axisalong the upper and lower edges of the truck bed, so that the bed may beclosed, the top half opened to permit for airfoil orientation, or thebottom half opened to a position against the floor of the bed to permitairflow therethrough. This arrangement does not, however, allow theoperator to open the gate to a second vertical orientation, andtherefore any person wishing to obtain an object from the rear of thetruck would be forced to climb over the tailgate, which often leads tothe operator knocking his or her shins into the top of the tailgate,causing temporary pain and possibly bruising the shin area of theoperator. Other patents relating to the aerodynamics of the truckinclude: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,499; 4,750,777; 4,861,589; and 4,790,589.

Other problems associated with access to the bed of the vehicle have ledto other options. U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,735 to Smith, issued Sep. 15,1957, teaches a universal opening tailgate. The four corners of thetailgate are each two-way hinges so that the gate may be opened from thetop, the bottom, or either side. This offers the advantages of increasedaccess, but does not allow the operator to slidably load objects intothe bed or place long objects therein and then still have easy accessinto the rest of the bed. Other gates allowing at least two-way accessinto the bed are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,544,153 to Galbreath etal., 3,912,326 to Tass, 3,309,133 to Butler, and 3,155,203 to Kappen.

The above related art summaries are merely representative of portions ofthe inventions disclosed in each reference. In no instance should thesesummaries substitute for a thorough reading of each individualreference. All the above references are hereby incorporated byreference.

As is shown by the related art references, none of these patents allowthe gate to be opened about two different axes at the same time.Therefore, only one possible access route to the bed of the vehicle isopen at any time. Occasionally, the need arises for heavy objects to beslidably loaded onto the bed of the vehicle from the rear while stillallowing the operator to have easy access to the forward-most portion ofthe bed, near the cab or driver's seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a means for two-way access to the bed ofthe vehicle at the same time. By providing a split tailgate having twoindependent axes of rotation, the present invention allows the operatorto open a second tailgate portion of the gate about the vertical axisfor easy access to the forward-most portion of the bed while alsoproviding a first tailgate portion of the gate, onto which heavy or longmaterials may be more readily loaded. Additionally, the tailgateaddition may include an extended step plate to allow the operator tostep into the bed of the truck more readily.

Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide atailgate for a vehicle that is capable of opening in two directions atthe same time.

It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide anenhanced step plate for stepping into the bed of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention will become morereadily apparent upon reading the following detailed description andupon reference to the following drawings in which like numerals refer tolike parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tailgate in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the horizontal latch and step plateportions of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the horizontal latch portion of a preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vertical latch portion of apreferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the horizontal latch plate and thereceiving cup for the horizontal axis.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vertically hinged tailgate portionof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, specifically FIG. 1, there is illustrateda vehicle tailgate, generally designated as 10, in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle tailgate 10comprises a first tailgate portion 12 and a second tailgate portion 20.Each portion 12, 20 is a hollow, rectangular box made of sheet metal orthe like and shaped generally to conform with the rear end of thevehicle.

The first tailgate portion 12 rotates about a horizontal axis 13 whichis a piece of tubing 52 that is inserted through a pair of aperturesnear the bottom edge 12A of the first tailgate portion. The tubing fitsinto a receptacles 30A, 30B (for 30A, note FIG. 5) at either end, theinner diameters of which are sized so that the tubing fits into thereceptacle with adequate space to rotate freely, however, there is notso much space that the door would rattle and shake when travelling. Thefirst tailgate portion 12 is held in the closed position by a firstlatching device 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first latching device 14 comprises a bracket 15,bolted to the inside of the truck bed wall adjacent the upper edge 12Bof the first tailgate portion 12, and having a first opening 16 on thepart of the bracket 15 that extends away from the truck bed wall, aflange 17 having a second opening 18, bolted to the upper edge 12B ofthe first tailgate portion 12 in such a manner that the first opening 16will align with the second opening 18 when the first tailgate portion 12is in the closed position, and a latching pin 19, which could be acotter pin, a U-shaped portion of a padlock, or the like, having anouter diameter equal to or less than the inner diameter of the first andsecond openings 16 and 18, respectively. The latching pin 19 maypreferably be attached to a length of small chain 22 at a first end 22Awhich is in turn attached to the interior of the truck bed at a secondend 22B so that the pin is not misplaced or lost.

In order to prevent the first tailgate portion 12 from swinging too farand to provide additional support for long objects while in the openposition, a length of large chain 24 is bolted to the interior of thetruck bed and the first tailgate portion 12, as is shown in FIG. 1 andcommonly known in the art.

The second tailgate portion 20 rotates about a vertical axis which isformed in this case by a pair of hinges 26 and 28, as shown in FIG. 1.The pair of hinges 26, 28 also limit the amount of rotation into theopen position. Additionally, a strap of material 54 attached to andextending from the wall of the truck bed to the second tailgate portionas shown in FIG. 6. The strap 54 prevents the second tailgate portion 20from swinging outwardly as far as it otherwise would if the hinges werethe only motion limiting pieces. The second tailgate portion 20 is heldin a closed position by means of a second latching device 30.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this second latching device 30 comprises aspring loaded portion 32 in combination with a latch plate 40. As shownin FIG. 5, the latch plate 40 is bolted at either end 40A and 40B to anangle iron 44 which is in turn connected just below the floor of the bedof the truck. The latch plate is raised at the center, the raisedportion having a slot 42 to receive the corresponding part of the springloaded portion 32.

The spring loaded portion 32 comprises a handle 33, a first connectingpiece 34, a lever 36, a latch wire or narrow diameter bar rod 37, aspring chamber 38, within which is located a spring 38A, and a catch 39,as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. The handle, located in the preferredembodiment at the end of the second tailgate portion opposite thehinges, fits through and is mounted to a front wall of the secondtailgate portion 20 and is attached on the back side at approximatelythe midpoint to the first connecting piece 34 at a lower end 34Athereof. An upper end 34B of the first connecting piece is then attachedto a first section 36A of the lever 36.

An alternative handle, adapted from a standard truck gate handle, may beaffixed to the first connecting piece 34 at a first handle end which isin turn directly attached to the lever 36. The alternative handle isalso coupled to the lever 36 at a second handle end by means of aspring. This alternative handle is readily modified from a standardtruck gate handle, which was originally designed to unlatch both ends ofa truck gate simultaneously, rather than having a first connecting piecelocated centrally on the handle.

Regardless of which handle is used, a second section 36B of the lever isattached to the latch wire 37, which extends from the lever 36 throughthe spring 38A within the spring chamber 38, through the spring plate39A, to the catch 39. The latch wire 37 may also be a relatively narrowdiameter bar rod, for example, a 5/32" round rod of steel may be used.The catch 39 extends through an aperture in a bottom wall of the secondtailgate portion 20 and into the slot 42 (note FIG. 5) of the latchplate 40 when the second tailgate portion is in its closed position. Thelever 36 is rotatably mounted at a fulcral point 36C to an inner side ofa back wall of the second tailgate portion 20 or to an auxiliary panel56.

The second latching device 30 operates in the following manner: theoperator pulls outward on the handle 33, the force on the handle 33moves the connecting piece 34 downwards, which in turn moves the firstsection 36A of the lever 36 downwards, the lever rotates at the fulcrum36C so that the second section 36B of the lever 36 moves upwards,pulling the catch 39 upwards against the pressure of the spring 38A tounlatch the second tailgate portion 20 of the tailgate 10. The end ofthe catch 39 is cut on a bias so that in closing the tailgate, the catchslides over the latch plate 40 until it is pushed into the slot where itis pushed by the force of the spring 38A.

As long as the second latching device will hold the second tailgateportion in the closed position, any known latching device that basicallyoperates by becoming wedged or otherwise limiting the distance betweenthe two parts when held by both the truck and the second tailgateportion (like as the catch as described above) would suffice. Forexample, a simple alternative would be to have an L-shaped bar or rodslidably attached to the gate portion. Brackets having holes could bemounted to an interior wall of the second tailgate portion so that theywould be projecting therefrom. The L-shaped rod would fit into a hole inthe truck bed to hold the door in a closed position. To open the secondtailgate portion, one would lift the rod (facilitated by the short endof the L, which may act as a handle) out of the hole in the bed and atwhich point the second tailgate portion would be free to swing open.

As a further convenience, the first tailgate portion may be slightlysmaller than the second tailgate portion, i.e. the gates do not meet atthe center of the truck, rather they meet slightly to one side, so thatthe step plate 50 is still accessible when the first tailgate portion isin an open position (see FIG. 1). This allows the operator to easilystep into the rear of the truck while also permitting the use of thetruck for carrying long objects that project over the edge of the truckor for loading the truck with objects which are desirable to slide intothe bed of the truck.

Additionally, the step plate 50 may be enlarged in order to allow one toplace their entire foot on the step for better balance, unlike thecustomary step. The step plate 50 is not so long as to obscure a ball ofa trailer ball mount when used with a conventional under-vehiclereceiver hitch (note FIG. 2).

The embodiments disclosed herein have been discussed for the purpose offamiliarizing the reader with the novel aspects of the invention.Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown, manychanges, modifications and substitutions may be made by one havingordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:
 1. A tailgate for a vehiclecomprising:a first tailgate portion rotatably mounted about a horizontalaxis and having an inboard edge; a second tailgate portion rotatablymounted about a vertical axis and having an inboard edge; a firstlatching device for securing the first tailgate portion in a closedposition; a second latching device for securing the second tailgateportion in a closed position; and wherein the inboard edges of saidfirst and second tailgate portions are immediately adjacent to eachother when in the closed position.
 2. The tailgate of claim 1, whereinthe horizontal axis is formed by a piece of tubing inserted through apair of apertures in the first tailgate portion and mounted in a pair ofreceptacles at either end, and wherein said receptacles are coupled tothe truck.
 3. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the vertical axis isformed by a pair of hinges operably coupled to the second tailgateportion and the truck.
 4. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the firstlatching device includes: a bracket having a first opening coupled to atruck bed wall; a flange having a second opening coupled to the firsttailgate portion in a position such that when the first tailgate portionis in the closed position the first and second openings are aligned; anda latching pin for maintaining the first and second tailgate portions inalignment.
 5. The tailgate of claim 1, wherein the second latchingdevice includes: a rod slidably engaged with the second tailgateportion; and a hole in the truck for receiving the rod when the secondtailgate portion is in the closed position.
 6. The tailgate of claim 5,wherein the rod is a catch.
 7. The tailgate of claim 6, furthercomprising:a handle for applying a force to open the second tailgateportion of the tailgate; a lever for switching the direction of theforce; a latch wire for connecting the lever to the catch; and a springcompartment having a spring around the latch wire and a spring platebelow the spring but above the catch, so that the catch willautomatically spring back when the second tailgate portion is closed. 8.The tailgate of claim 7, wherein the latch wire is a bar rod.
 9. Anapparatus comprising a vehicle; and a tailgate mounted on said vehicle,wherein said tailgate includes:a first tailgate portion rotatablymounted about a horizontal axis and having an inboard edge; a secondtailgate portion rotatably mounted about a vertical axis and having aninboard edge; a first latching device for securing the first tailgateportion in a closed position; a second latching device for securing thesecond tailgate portion in a closed position; and wherein the inboardedges of said first and second tailgate portions are immediatelyadjacent to each other when in the closed position.
 10. The vehicle ofclaim 9, wherein the horizontal axis is formed by a piece of tubinginserted through a pair of apertures in the first tailgate portion andmounted in a pair of receptacles at either end, and wherein saidreceptacles are coupled to the truck.
 11. The vehicle of claim 9,wherein the vertical axis is formed by a pair of hinges operably coupledto the second tailgate portion and the truck.
 12. The vehicle of claim9, wherein the first latching device comprises, in combination: abracket having a first opening coupled to a truck bed wall; a flangehaving a second opening coupled to the first tailgate portion in aposition such that when the first tailgate portion is in the closedposition the first and second openings are aligned; and a latching pinfor maintaining the first and second tailgate portions in alignment. 13.The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the second latching device comprises, incombination: a rod slidably engaged with the second tailgate portion;and a hole in the truck for receiving the rod when the second tailgateportion is in the closed position.
 14. The vehicle of claim 13, whereinthe rod is a catch.
 15. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising:ahandle for applying a force to open the second tailgate portion of thetailgate; a lever for switching the direction of the force; a connectingpiece for connecting the handle to the lever; a wire for connecting thelever to the catch; and a spring compartment having a spring around thewire and a spring plate below the spring but above the catch, so thatthe catch will automatically spring back when the door is closed. 16.The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an extended step plate.